Tuesday, 09 February 2010 16:05
When AIADA's board first asked me to serve as its 2009 chairman, I said yes right away. I had been actively involved with the association for years, and had seen first-hand the good it has accomplished on behalf of international nameplate dealers.
To be honest, I thought a term spent as chairman would be an easy way to give back to the auto retail community. I was looking forward to a year of smooth sailing.Instead, I got 12 months of stormy weather.
2009 began with a recession, a historic drop in auto sales, bank bailouts, followed by automaker bailouts, followed by a credit crisis, followed by the massive Cash for Clunkers program, and is now wrapping up with Toyota issuing one of the largest recalls our industry has ever seen.
There were definitely points during my chairmanship when all I could think about was Winston Churchill's famous quote, "If you're going through hell, keep going." With an attitude like that, Churchill might have a made a decent car dealer.
After all, if we dealers weren't consistently able to persevere through these sorts of events, we wouldn't be dealers for long. Hail storm? Call it a scratch and dent sale. Skyrocketing fuel prices? Roll out the hybrids. Economy hit the skids? You could try what I did, and offer a 'buy one get one free' deal.
Whatever the issue, dealers have a long history of meeting crises head on. And more often than not, we make it through to the other side a little wiser and tougher - and maybe with a few more gray hairs.
AIADA has made it through the past year stronger than it has ever been. While I have done my best to provide direction for our association, I can't take credit for our success in 2009. That belongs entirely to YOU - our dealer members. Dealers showed unprecedented grit in the face of new challenges this year. International dealers, in particular, bowled me over with their willingness to engage with their elected officials and the media. In the face of mounting 'Buy American' and anti-business legislation, dealers did whatever they needed to protect their businesses.
Because of AIADA's membership, our grassroots Legislative Action Network is larger and stronger than ever. Our dealer visit program is incredibly popular in Congress - legislators are calling US asking to meet with dealers in their district. Washington's level of interest in our industry has reached new heights, and AIADA has been on the front lines, educating Congress and the public on what our dealers do.
Because of what we went through in 2009, we enter 2010 as a lean, mean advocacy machine.
Thank you, all of you, for your support and determination over this past year. This opportunity has meant a great deal to me, and I leave my post as chairman with a renewed appreciation of our industry, and even more importantly the people that make it run.
I look forward to what 2010 holds for us dealers. I look forward to seeing our side of the industry grow and thrive under new and shifting conditions. I look forward to the battles we have coming our way, and to 2010 AIADA Chairman Rick DeSilva's commanding leadership.
Most of all, I'm looking forward to our Annual Meeting & Luncheon next week in Orlando, when I hand the chairman's gavel off to Rick. While I will remain on AIADA's board, it is time for me to shift my focus back to my dealerships in Wisconsin. Is it too much to hope for 12 months of smooth sailing?
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